Universal Preschool News

In this section, you'll find editorials, legislation, public policy and trends
on issues relating to preschool, pre-kindergarten, childcare and the push toward
universal preschool education. Particularly of note are articles concerning the
states claim of a compelling interest in compulsory preschool education. Visit
often for the latest preschool news.

The 13 most evil U.S. government experiments on humansThe U.S. Government has been caught conducting an insane amount of vile, inhumane, and grisly experiments on humans without their consent... and often without their knowledge. These are the thirteen most evil, creepy, disturbing cases of human-testing.Conspiracy theory nuts are known for being a little out there, but once you read the wild government experiment stories on this list, you'll be a believer too. Did the U.S. government really infect its own citizens with syphilis and not tell them? Sure did. Did other government agencies test nuclear weapons, resulting in radiation fallout on multiple innocent Pacific islands? Oh yes. And did top U.S. officials condone the research of corrupt doctors who were clearly torturing their research subjects? Click through the list below to find out.September 14, 2016[More Results from naturalnews.com]

LETTER: Children better at home than in pre-schoolI want to protest in the strongest possible terms two stories in the Oct 14 News by Tyler Olsen; they look very much like a one-two punch of propaganda from a malignant campaign to force so-called early childhood 'education' on British Columbia families.The first story was headlined Number of 'vulnerable' children entering school on the rise, with the sub-head Increase related to lack of core 'emotional and social competencies'" The 'vulnerabilities' and 'emotional and social competencies' are vaguely explained as a lack of self-control; but there is no indication of any research that identifies the cause of that lack.November 9, 2015[More Results from abbynews.com]

Thousands of preschool kids face suspensionEven preschoolers are getting suspended from U.S. public schools - and they're disproportionately black, a trend that continues up through the later grades.Advocates have long said that get-tough suspension and arrest policies in schools have contributed to a "school-to-prison" pipeline that snags minority students, but much of the emphasis has been on middle school and high school policies. This data shows the disparities starting in the youngest of children.by Kimberly Hefling and Jesse J. HollandMarch 21, 2014[More Results from usnews.com]

The Science of the Great Molasses FloodIn 1919 a wave of syrup swept through the streets of Boston. Fluid dynamics explains why it was even more devastating than a typical tsunami."Send all available rescue vehicles and personnel immediately," he yelled, "there's a wave of molasses coming down Commercial Street!" More than 7.5 million liters of molasses surged through Boston's North End at around 55 kilometers per hour in a wave about 7.5 meters high and 50 meters wide at its peak. All that thick syrup ripped apart the cylindrical tank that once held it, throwing slivers of steel and large rivets in all directions. The deluge crushed freight cars, tore Engine 31 firehouse from its foundation and, when it reached an elevated railway on Atlantic Avenue, nearly lifted a train right off the tracks.by Ferris JabrJanuary 15, 2014[More Results from scientificamerican.com]

Poll: 57 Percent of Public Opposes Government PreschoolGovernment preschool programs have expanded greatly in the past decade, but a new poll finds 57 percent of Americans believe parents, not the government, should pay for preschool.Thirty-two percent said taxpayers should pay for preschool in the Reason-Rupe May 2013 poll. "President Obama has proposed expanding government preschool programs, however only 37 percent of Americans favor raising taxes to create a universal preschool system, while 61 percent oppose," the poll summary noted.by Shelby SimsMay 20, 2013[More Results from news.heartland.org]

Why Universal Pre-K Is a Step BackwardsObama's call for universal preschool access, one of the few concrete proposals in an otherwise bland State of the Union Address, was the culmination of an idea inspired by the success of programs like the Perry Preschool Program.There has been some research to suggest that children who attend preschool regularly go on to lead more successful lives than those who don't, even when socioeconomic factors are accounted for. In response to the President's State of the Union speech, the WSJ took a look at Oklahoma, one of the first states to roll out state-funded preschools, to see how their program is actually faring.March 10, 2013[More Results from blogs.the-american-interest.com]

HHS: Head Start Students Do Worse in Math Than Non-Head Start StudentsChildren who were in the federal Head Start program do worse in math and have more problems with social interaction by the third grade than children who were not in the program, according to a large-scale study by the U.S. Department of HHS.The congressionally mandated study evaluated 4,667 elementary students. The main conclusion is that overall, the $8 billion Head Start program provides no measurable benefit for children by the time they reach the third grade compared to the sampling of children in similar economic circumstances who were not in the program, referred to as the "control group" in the study. "In summary, there were initial positive impacts from having access to Head Start, but by the end of 3rd grade there were very few impacts found for either cohort in any of the four domains of cognitive, social-emotional, health and parenting practices," the HHS study said. "The few impacts that were found did not show a clear pattern of favorable or unfavorable impact on children."by Fred LucasFebruary 27, 2013[More Results from CNS News]

New Entitlement: Liberal Think Tank Linked to Obama Produces Preschool-for-All PlanDays before President Barack Obama outlines his agenda for the coming year, a think tank with close ties to the White House is outlining a plan that would provide preschool for all children within five years.The Center for American Progress proposal, released Thursday, provides a road map for how the Obama administration could move forward with pre-kindergarten programs for all 3- and 4-year-olds. For families with younger children, federal subsidies for child care would increase to an average $7,200 per child and the number of students in Early Head Start programs would double. "We're trying to ensure all children are ready to learn when they get to school," said Neera Tanden, the president and CEO of the think tank and a former top policy official in the Obama administration. "Investing in early learning and pre-K is the best investment that we can make. The return on investment is significant."by Philip ElliottFebruary 6, 2013[More Results from CNS News]

Head Start's sad and costly secretSince its inception in1965, taxpayers have spent more than $180 billion on the program. But HHS’ latest Head Start Impact Study found taxpayers aren’t getting a good return on this “investment.” According to the congressionally-mandated report, Head Start has little to no impact on cognitive, social-emotional, health, or parenting practices of its participants. In fact, on a few measures, access to the program actually produced negative effects.by Lindsey M. BurkeJanuary 14, 2013[More Results from Fox News]

States That Spent Most Per-Pupil Get Labor Dept. Grants; States That Spent Least Get NoneThe U.S. Labor Department announced last week that it will distribute $75.7 million in taxpayer-funded YouthBuild grants to provide instruction and occupational training for high school dropouts, ages 16 to 24.With some 5,000 individuals expected to benefit, the grants average $15,140 for each "out of school" individual. Meanwhile, the nation's elementary-secondary public school systems spent an average $10,615 per pupil in fiscal year 2010, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. According to a June 2012 Census Bureau's report, the District of Columbia spent the most on education in 2010 - $18,667 per student. The Labor Department just awarded a $1,099,932 YouthBuild grant to the city's Sasha Bruce Youthwork Inc., which helps young people "transform their lives."by Penny StarrSeptember 3, 2012[More Results from CNS News]

Police handcuff Georgia kindergartner for tantrumPolice in Georgia handcuffed a kindergartner with her arms behind her back after the girl threw a tantrum and the police chief defended the action as a safety measure.The girl's family demanded Tuesday that their central Georgia city change policy so that other children aren't treated the same way. They say the child was shaken up by the ordeal. While it's unusual to see a young child handcuffed in school, it's not unheard of. School officials around the nation have wrestled with the issue of when it's appropriate to call police on a student.April 17, 2012[More Results from CNS News]

Growth In Prekindergarten Slowed In RecessionThe expansion in public prekindergarten programs has slowed and even been reversed in some states as school districts cope with shrinking budgets. As a result, many 3- and 4-year-olds aren't going to preschool.In Arizona, a block grant that funded prekindergarten for a small percentage of kids was cut altogether, although a separate public fund still supports some programs. In Georgia, a drop in state lottery dollars meant shaving 20 days off the prekindergarten school year. Proposed cuts in such programs have led to litigation in North Carolina and legislative battles in places like Iowa.January 17, 2012[More Results from Fox News]

Safety violations found at Head Start centersIt's the kind of stuff that gives moms nightmares: a machete near a play area, household chemicals accessible to preschoolers, and instructors teaching without a criminal background check.These violations and others were found at Head Start centers across the country, according to a report released Tuesday by the inspector general of the Health and Human Services Department. Head Start, the federal program with roots in President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty, provides early education services to nearly 1 million low-income kids nationwide. The federal government gives grant dollars to public, nonprofit and for-profit programs to provide the services.by Kimberly HeflingDecember 13, 2011[More Results from CNS News]

Obamacare Showers Millions of Dollars on School Health ClinicsUnder Obamacare, more than $14 million in taxpayer money is going to health clinics at 45 schools, many of them in poor parts of the country."Today's infusion of new money will enable them to expand their capacity and modernize their facilities," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced on Thursday. The clinics -- in 29 states -- are now providing health care to 112,000 children, and Sebelius expects the number of children served to increase by an estimated 53,000 as the school clinics are expanded and upgraded.by Susan JonesDecember 8, 2011[More Results from CNS News]

Police: Janitor left gun in preschool classroomPolice say a school janitor in Connecticut has been arrested after leaving his loaded handgun in a preschool classroom.Police say 25-year-old Cody Willette of Woodbury was charged with reckless endangerment and failing to properly store a firearm after the incident Monday at Bucks Hill Elementary School.December 7, 2011[More Results from CNS News]

Judge: Facebook post should cost job of NJ teacherA New Jersey administrative law judge has ruled that a first-grade teacher who wrote that she was a "warden for future criminals" on Facebook earlier this year should lose her tenured job.The state education commissioner now has 45 days to accept, reject or modify the decision regarding Jennifer O'Brien. The Paterson teacher posted her remark to 333 friends on March 28. But it was forwarded and several parents saw it.November 8, 2011[More Results from CNS News]

Arizona Professor Banned from McDonald's, Found Disease-Causing Bacteria [VIDEO]A university professor in Arizona has been banned from eight McDonald's restaurants in her area, after she found dangerous bacteria in the children's play area.Erin Carr Jordan received a hand-delivered letter from an attorney stating that she was no longer allowed to set foot in the specified McDonald's restaurants near Phoenix. The letter also threatened her with criminal trespassing charges if she did. Carr Jordan believes she received this notice because of an incident at a McDonald's in Gilbert, AZ in which she pointed out to the manager that she found an antibiotic-resistant bacteria, called MRSA, in its PlayPlace and then warned parents at the restaurant to clean and sanitize their children's hands.by Kathy LandinOctober 31, 2011[More Results from newsradio1310.com]

In Texas schools, a picture's worth 1,000 caloriesA $2 million project being unveiled Wednesday in the lunchroom of a Texas elementary school will use high-tech cameras to photograph what foods children pile onto their trays - and later capture what they don't finish eating.Digital imaging analysis of the snapshots will then calculate how many calories each student scarfed down. Local health officials said the program, funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, is the first of its kind in a U.S. school, and will be so precise that the technology can identify a half-eaten pear left on a lunch tray.by Paul J. WeberMay 12, 2011[More Results from CNS News]

Nation's top rated pre-k program comes to AlabamaGovernor Bob Riley announced Tuesday that 27 classrooms have been selected to become First Class Pre-K sites. The total number of children being served by the pre-kindergarten program increases to 3,808.Fifteen of the 27 classrooms are receiving Pre-K Excellence Grants in the amount of $45,000 each. These grants enable classrooms to meet Alabama's high quality pre-K standards, which are rated the best by the National Institute for Early Education Research. The remaining 12 classrooms are receiving Pre-K State Supported Slots of at least $45,000, with additional funding based on the number of low-income and middle-income children served.by Mark WilderJuly 8, 2009[More Results from WSFA 12 News]